In an effort to strike a delicate balance between player protection and taxation, Sweden is actively seeking ways to overcome the challenge of player distribution in online casinos. According to the latest report from the Swedish Trade Association for Online Gambling (BOS), only 77% of online gambling activities in the country are accounted for by local, licensed sites, despite the efforts of the regulator, Spelinspektionen.

Sweden is taking measures to safeguard players by imposing restrictions on deposits and bonuses. However, such limitations often drive players to turn to unlicensed operators offering more generous bonuses and conditions.

Representatives of the iGaming industry often express the opinion that a controlled private licensing system is much more stable than a ban or a monopoly. Rahapeliala, the Finnish association for online gambling distribution, is one of such representatives.
And the Finnish government is taking heed.
In 2017, the government created a state-controlled monopoly, unifying the betting agency Veikkous, the gambling platform Rahaautomaattiyhdistys, and the horse racing betting operator Fintoto under a single brand, Veikkous.
However, Veikkous was able to reach only 50% audience coverage, which led the government (partly influenced by Rahaleliala) to conduct an independent review on the abolition of the monopoly.
The monopoly will be discontinued, and a modern licensing system will be introduced no later than 2026; the Veikkaus monopoly will be divided again into separate companies: Veikkous, Rahaautomaattiyhdistys, and Fintoto. After that, a licensing system will be established for private operators.
The government's new plans aim to reduce the financial and social harm caused by gambling. Regulators will easily comply with all the rules, and new measures will be taken to combat money laundering and violations of sports ethics. Additionally, a unified self-exclusion portal will be created.